The Winner Takes it All
by Milotic
Summary: Misty learns the hard way that sometimes waiting for something to happen can have disastrous effects. Pokeshipping and Morpheusshipping. One-shot.


The Winner Takes it All

Disclaimer: I own neither Pokémon nor the song "The Winner Takes it All" by ABBA. I do, however, own this story.

Author's Note: This fic contains spoilers for episodes that have yet to air outside of Japan. Aoi doesn't have an English name yet. For the sake of this fic I've named her Amy. I'll change her name when her English name is announced.

Update 1/18/09: Aoi's name has been changed to Angie.

_I don't wanna talk_

_About the things we've gone through_

_Though it's hurting me_

_Now it's history_

I clench my fist inside my pocket, secretly gritting my teeth. Beside me May and Dawn cheer loudly, screaming Ash's name, and Brock, who's sitting beside me, beams like a proud older brother. The stadium erupts in deafening applause, each member clapping loudly and vigorously. Happiness radiates from every human being, happiness I, of course, share, although for me it's more than a little bittersweet.

What can I say? Ash has finally done it, finally achieved his goal. Mr. Pokémon Master, _my _Mr. Pokémon Master, is now, honestly and truly, the master. He won the Pokémon League, defeating his rival Angie. No, I shouldn't call her his rival, should I? For Angie is so much more than a rival to Ash.

_I've played all my cards_

_And that's what you've done, too_

_Nothing more to say_

_No more ace to play_

I glance out towards the middle of the stadium, where Ash stands proudly, Pikachu atop his erect shoulders. He grins at the crowd, and the crowd smiles back, proud to have witnessed the victory of one of the youngest winners of the Sinnoh League in history. Angie, the runner-up, has every reason to be happy, having just placed in the Top Two. Of course, in my eyes she has much more than that to be happy about, for in my eyes she might as well have won the tournament.

_The winner takes it all_

_The loser standing small_

_Beside the victory_

_That's her destiny_

Ash made the announcement last night. Blushing profusely, he walked into the Pokémon Center holding Angie's hand. When I saw it my stomach dropped to the floor, my legs almost giving way. I had to grasp the wall to steady myself. There it was right in front of me, the confirmation of my worst fears. I could barely hear the words Ash said, although I'm sure I would have loved to hear his voice, so timid and precious as he announced his relationship with Angie to all of his friends, his words full of both trepidation and excitement.

_I wished I was in your arms_

_Thinking I belonged there_

_I figured it made sense_

_Building me a fence_

How long have I loved Ash? The funny tricks of time make it difficult for me to remember, to be honest. It feels like it's been forever, but I know that must be wrong, for I haven't even known Ash for half my life. Still, it feels like an eternity. Love can do that, I guess. I've always believed in our "Happily Ever After," thinking that Ash and I would someday be a couple. I thought we were meant for each other, a perfect match. Sure, we argued with each other, but didn't Ash know that I only teased him because he was so special to me, because I had no other way of safely expressing my feelings towards him?

_Building me a home _

_Thinking I'd be strong there_

_But I was a fool_

_Playing by the rules_

Apparently I lost my chance. How many opportunities did I have to tell Ash how I felt about him? Every night when we traveled together, every night laying under the star filled sky, I longed to confess my feelings to Ash, to tell him the words my heart longed to express, but every time I lost my nerve. What if he didn't love me back? Ash was, and still is, my best friend; our friendship was too important to me to risk it all for my feelings. Maybe, just maybe, though, if I had had the courage to say what I felt, maybe he'd be with me now instead of Angie. I waited too long, though.

_The gods may throw the dice_

_Their minds as cold as ice_

_And someone way down here_

_Loses someone dear_

Now I've lost Ash for good. He's Angie's now. All my dreams about our first kiss, our wedding day, the birth of our first child, and growing old together have evaporated into little more than tiny wisps of smoke, each floating increasingly out of reach. I will never be able to grasp them again.

Maybe if I had never gone away, never returned to Cerulean City to take care of the gym in my sisters' absence, this would not have happened. Perhaps if I had been there to cheer on Ash during his battles in Hoenn and Sinnoh, to congratulate him after every capture and evolution, to wish him sweet dreams every night, perhaps then I would have had my opportunity; perhaps then I would have developed the courage to tell Ash how I really felt.

_The winner takes it all_

_The loser has to fall_

_It's simple and it's plain_

_Why should I complain?_

No, that's not right either, though. For it wasn't May or Dawn, the two girls who traveled with him and experienced every up and down with him, who captured Ash's heart, but it was Angie…Angie, the girl he just met. Didn't our years together mean anything to him? Didn't the fact that I fished him out of the river, that I risked my life to save his on Shamouti Island, that I gave up a loving and secure relationship with Rudy to be with him, affect Ash in any way? What about all of the special moments we shared together, the fact that I stuck with him until the very end and left not because I wanted to but because my family forced me to? I never wanted to separate from Ash, never wanted this to happen.

_But tell me does she kiss_

_Like I wanted to kiss you?_

_Does it feel the same_

_When she calls your name?_

I watch Angie place a congratulatory kiss on Ash's cheek; both her face and Ash's turn bright red. How many times have I pictured this moment, the moment when Ash would win the Pokémon League? I imagined how I would congratulate Ash, and I'd be lying if I said a kiss on the cheek never crossed my mind. Maybe, just maybe I'd even confess to him at that moment. Of course, now I've lost that opportunity for good.

Maybe I'm naïve for thinking that Ash would never find someone else, that no one else would fall for him the way I've fallen for him, that everyone else would be scared to confess the way I was. Yes, perhaps that's true. One who hasn't been in my position can't possibly understand what was at stake, though, everything I had to lose. What if I ruined our relationship forever, though? What if I lost my best friend? Ash is, first and foremost, my very best friend, and I will retain that role forever, no matter what heartache he puts me through. I will do that because I love him.

_Somewhere deep inside_

_You must know I miss you_

_But what can I say?_

_Rules must be obeyed_

Those around me burst with happiness as Ash, Angie, and the third place finisher mount the victory podium. I feel happiness, too; yes, above all I am happy that Ash has won. The truth is that I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, cheering on Ash from afar, always rooting for him. No one could possibly believe in Ash more than I did, for, no matter what I might have said in the past, I've had faith in my Pokémon Master from the very first moment I witnessed his interaction with Pikachu and Caterpie.

I know I will miss Ash more than anything, that I will miss the dreams I had for our future. I already feel as though I've lost both him and a part of myself, perhaps forever. Still, without infringing on Ash and Angie's relationship, I will cling to what remains.

_The judges will decide_

_The likes of me abide_

_Spectators of the show_

_Always staying low_

Angie seems like a nice girl. (She'd better be, for my Ash doesn't deserve anyone less!) I think she treats Ash well, and they seem happy together. Still, I can't help but laugh at how they bicker, how shy she seems when it comes to her feelings, how tomboyish she is. No, the irony of these things isn't lost on me.

_The game is on again_

_A lover or a friend_

_A big thing or a small_

_The winner takes it all_

The crowd begins to disperse throughout the stadium. Somehow I've missed the entirety of the closing ceremonies without even realizing it. Brock, May, and Dawn rise from their seats and approach Ash in the middle of the stadium to offer their congratulations. Tracey hesitates slightly, placing a firm hand on my shoulder and squeezing tightly. He knows.

It pains me to think that in Ash's eyes I'm no different from these people, no different from May, Dawn, Brock, and Tracey. After all, I'm just a friend, nothing more. That's all I'll ever be.

_I don't want to talk_

_If it makes you feel sad_

_And I understand _

_You've come to shake my hand_

I'm still sitting in my seat as midnight approaches, watching the starry sky and seeing in every star a missed opportunity to confess my feelings I had, for my opportunities, like the stars, were infinite; I just didn't take advantage of them.

Suddenly a figure enters the stadium. I don't even have to look up to see who it is or to know why he's here.

"Misty, I missed you at closing ceremonies." Ash approaches me from the darkness, a frown etched across his dirty face.

"Ash…oh. I'm sorry."

"That's OK. Can you believe I won?" A goofy grin appears on Ash's face, almost as if by magic. I want to capture it forever, to never lose it, for I know he will be reserving most of his trademark smiles for Angie now.

"Of course I can. I've always believed in you…" I end up sounding more hurt than I had intended, not to mention revealing more information than I had hoped to. I need to choose my words more carefully.

"Heh, I know. Thanks, Mist."

_Mist_…Ash's pet name for me. I wonder if he has a pet name for Angie.

_I apologize_

_If it makes you feel bad_

_Seeing me so tense_

_No self-confidence_

We sit in silence for a while, neither one of us knowing what to say. Finally, when the silence becomes excruciating, I break it.

"Congratulations, Ash…on both accounts."

Ash looks confused for a minute. Did I mention that one of the things I love most about him is how dense he can be. It's adorable and…OK, I need to stop. There can be no more of this for me.

Anyway, Ash catches on and turns a dark crimson. "Thank you, Misty." He pauses, then adds, "for everything."

Ash then turns and walks out of the stadium. Finally, now that I'm alone, I let the tears fall.

_But you see_

_The winner takes it all_

I don't let them fall for long, though. No, I must move on. I will always love Ash, and he will always have a special place in my heart, but there are too many things to be happy about, like the fact that Ash has won and the fact that I have such a wonderful friend. I smile.

Still, it hurts. After all…

_The winner takes it all…_

The End

Author's Note: I can't believe I wrote a song fic, especially because I hate them and was just telling Maiden of the Moon that in a review. Still, I was listening to the Mama Mia soundtrack on my way home from school Thursday, and I heard this song and had to write this fanfic. (You should listen to it. It's lovely.) It's probably no better than the slew of crappy song fics out there, but oh well.

For those of you who don't know, Aoi (aka Amy) appeared in the recent summer school ark in the Japanese episodes of Pokémon. She eventually developed a crush on Ash, who kind of rejected her without knowing it, so I don't think there's too much to worry about, but it still got me depressed, especially because she's showing up in another episode soon. Hence I wrote this depressing fic. It was difficult to write, and by no means do I want this to happen (or think it'll happen), but I wrote it anyway.

This is also meant to be sort of a character study of Misty and why I think she should get with Ash.

Just a quick note: I slightly altered two of the lines in the song. "I wished I was in your arms" is really "I was in your arms" and "like I wanted to kiss you" is really "like I used to kiss you." "The Winner Takes it All" is really a breakup song, but since Ash and Misty were never together in this fic I thought I needed to change a couple of things.

Well, let me know what you think (and don't forget to review Consummation if you're up for it, even though I'm giving you fair warning that it stinks). Two fanfics in one weekend has me pretty drained, and I should probably get back to work on school stuff, but it was fun.

See you again sometime. :)

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